Journal

Beat a Stronger Player in an Even Game Accomplishment Complete!

For those who have never tried it before, playing an even game against a player that is reportedly two stones stronger than you can be a scary feeling. On one hand, you think “This can’t be too bad.” Yet, on the other hand, the board looks quite naked as you stare at the empty board while knowing that you should have two handicap stones sitting on the board. As someone who’s been through a couple experiences recently, it is quite the daunting feeling…

Now, I understand that rank is, more often than not, a rather subjective one. A player can be stronger or weaker than his reported rank, and then of course there is the issue of whether your opponent’s playing style is weak to yours. Nonetheless, especially for players not yet in the high SDK and dan levels, the rank difference ends up impacting your mindset to some degree.

The game was an intense one that left me with a racing heart and slight anxiety that I would misclick as my shaking hands attempted to place each stone. That being said, I am proud to say that today’s kifu has allowed me to obtain the “Beat a Stronger Player in an Even Game” accomplishment! In addition, being able to win against a stronger player in an even game has helped to reinforce my confidence against stronger opponents. Granted, I’m not saying I believe I can knocking down high SDK’s with ease; but I am now at least able to stand a bit straighter when faced with stronger opponents.

Finally, today’s kifu has a special guest appearance from one of my favorite sensei’s: frozensoul! The kifu has a lot of great commentary and variations that I’m sure you could benefit from. The key lesson that I took away from his review is the usage of the double hane. If you are still feel a bit confused about that technique, be sure to look over the kifu for that explanation and more!